Pump



PUMP

vFiled Oct. 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY mdf/m 77M '5 A ORNEYS Dec. 19,1967 R. F. sEAMANs PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Oct. 5, 1965 INVENTOR RALPHE SEA/MANS w27/m, aand/MJL ATTORNEY5 United States Patent O 3,358,607PUMP Ralph F. Seamans, P.O. Box 352, Swink, Colo. 81077 Filed Qct. 5,1965, Ser. No. 493,024

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 10S-,104)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a pump for liquids,and in particular to one that is operable to pump a liquid which mayinclude debris such as leaves, branches, twigs, grass, sand, mud andnuts or the like.

In the farming or range country it is frequently necessary to pump waterfrom streams, lakes, reservoirs, etc. to obtain a supply for irrigationditches or for illing tanks for watering livestock. Portable powerdriven pumps, generally of the centrifugal type are quite useful forsuch purposes and it is toward pumps of this nature that this inventionis directed. Such pumps are also useful for removing Water from Hoodedareas such as basements or man-holes and the like.

In pumping water from the above sources, which are named only for thepurpose of example, the water is frequently. contaminated by foreignmatter that is diiiicult to strain out from the inlet to the pump, sincethe strainer becomes clogged and has to be cleaned repeatedly.

The pump of this invention does not need a strainer in the inlet becauseit is constructed so as to receive and pump such foreign matter that issmall enough to pass through its inlet and to reduce to a. smaller sizeother matter that may onlypartially enter the inlet.

The bearing for a pump of this type is subject to an abnormal amount ofwear because of the debris in the water, as well as from rust that willordinarily form on the pump shaft in the bearing, which'must necessarilybe asv 'close as is reasonably possible to the pump impeller, and theinvention contemplates a construction whereby vthe bearing is properlylubricated and water or other contaminants are prevented from enteringthe bearing.

It is accordingly the primary object of the invention to provide anewand improved pump for debris-laden liquids wherein debris that issmall enough to enter the pump inlet will pass through the pump, andother debris that may only partially enter the inlet will be reduced insize by the action of the pump.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a novelcentrifugal pump for debris-laden liquids wherein the dimensions of thepump outlet and of the passageway through the pump is large enough withrespect to the dimensions of any pump inlet, so that any debris smallenough to enter an inlet may pass through the pump and its outlet.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a novel pumpfor debris-laden liquids wherein the impeller shaft bearing iscontinuously supplied with lubricant and means are provided to reducerusting and wear of the shaft or the bearing by preventing the entranceof water or debris into the bearing.

Another object will become apparent as the description proceeds inconnection with the appended drawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is a vertical sectional view through a pump embodying theinvention, taken substantially along the 3,358,607 Patented Dec. 19,1967 ice 2 line 1 1 of FIGURE 2. FIGURE 2 is a plan View ef the pumptaken substantially along the line 2 2 of FIG-A URE 1.

Referring to the drawings, the pump includes a centrifugal impeller 5mounted on a vertical shaft 6 which f is journaled at its lower end inIan impeller shaft tube 7 that is affixed to a volute shaped impellerhousing 8 as by three rigid equiangularly spaced connecting legs 9.-

The impeller housing 8 has a first inlet 10 in its upper wall 11 and acoaxially aligned second inlet 12 in its lower wall 14. The shaft 6 isdriven directly or indirectly,"

by means such as an electric motor or internal combustion engine, notshown.

The liquid being pumped enters the inlets 10 and 12 and ows clockwisethrough the housing 8, as viewed in FIGURE`2 under the action of theimpeller 5, and exits either through a horizontal discharge pipe 15orthrough a vertical discharge pipe 16 indicated by dot-dash lines inthe drawings. A exible hose or the like may be connected' to thedischarge pipe 15 or 16 to deliver the pumped Y liquid to any desiredpoint.

" partially in the hub. A series of six equiangularly spaced -Vwall 14of the impeller housing is detachable, being se` V The centrigualimpeller comprises a solid cylindricaly hub 17 which has a force tit onthe lower end of the shaft 6, to which it is further secured by a capscrew 18 threaded into blind tapped hole partially in the shaft andimpeller blades 21 are secured as by welding to the outer cylindricalsurface of the hub 17, in such position that they are tangential theretoas shown in FIGURE 2. Thev cured to the housing as by a series of screws22.

Although the first and second inlets 10 and 12 to the housing arerelatively large, they are reduced by the4 diameter of the impeller hub17, and by the impeller blades 21. Thus the largest size sphericalobject that can enterthe housing is represented by the dot-dash circle;23 in FIGURE 2 and it is apparent that it could pass-f through theimpeller housing to the outlet. An irregu-l larly shaped object having adimension larger than the circle 23 would also pass through the housingsince it. is apparent that any object that will pass through` theopening defined by hub 17, inlet 16%y or 12 and a pair of adjoiningimpeller blades 21 will pass throughpthe housing 8 and its outlet.

Impeller shaft 6 is journaled adjacent the lower end of tube 7 in abushing 24 which is ixed in place as by a screw 25. The lower end of thetube is closed as by a cap 26, threaded onto the lower end thereof,there being a central opening for the passage of the shaft 6. Betweenthe lower end of bushing 24 and the cap 26 are a pair of rubber-likeseals 29 and 30 separated from each other by a metallic or other hardmaterial spacing washer 31. Between the upper seal 29 and the bushing 24is a hard material spacing Washer 32 and there is a similar spacingwasher between the lower seal 30 and the closure cap 26.

At its lower end a grease supply tube 33 extends through tube 7 andspacing washer 31 to deliver a supply of rust preventative and waterresistant grease to the space between the seals 29 and 30. This greaseis supplied under pressure so as to completely lill the aforesaid space,and its effect is to prevent the passage of Water and its contaminantsup to the lower end of the bushing 24. A grease gun or grease cup notshown, at the upper end of the supply tube, may be used to feed thegrease to the space between the seals 29 and 30 and to 3 apply pressureto it at intervals, in a conventional man ner, or the pressure may beapplied continuously. Tube 33 extends to a point adjoining the upper endof the impeller shaft tube 7.

The length of` the -tube 7 and the shaft 6 therein may be as long asdesired, depending upon the depths of the bodies of water normallyencountered when using the pump. The power supply for the drive shaft 6and its method of attachment to the upper end of the tube 7, as Well asthe bearings for the upper end of the shaft are not shown, since they donot form any part of the invention. Irrespective of the length of thetube 7 however, adjacent its upper end there is xedly attaching alubricating oil reservoir 34 which communic ates with the interior oftube 7 through a passageway 37 adjacent the bottom of the reservoir. Thereservoir 34 has a filler hole closed by a threaded closure 38, andlubricating oil is inserted through the filler hole until it reaches anoil level indicated at 39 in both the reservoir and the tube 7. Thus,the tube 7 is kept substantially full of lubricating oil for the bushing24 at the bottom thereof, under a pressure head dependent upon the oillevel in the reservoir 34. The upper end of the tube is Vclosed as by acap 40 threaded thereunto and having a passageway for the Verticalimpeller shaft 6.

In operation, the pump housing 8 is lowered into the body of water thatis desired to be pumped away. While the pump is normally used in avertical position it need not be truly vertical but the tube 7 may beinclined to some extent, which may be desirable in some cases, to allowwater to enter the lower or second inlet 12 if the pump housing isresting on a horizontal surface. Any debris that is too large to entereither inlet 10 or 12 but which has a portion protruding therethroughinto the path of the rotating impeller blades 21 Will have thatprotruding portion cut off by the blades and the cut off portion willpass through the housing and to the outlet. Water or debris cannot getto the lubricated bushing 24 to cause wear of the shaft 6 or bushingbecause ofthe seals 29, 30 and the waterfand resistant grease betweenthe seals.

The invention may be embodied ni other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrativeand not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by theappended claims rather by the foregoing description, and all changeswhich come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims aretherefore intended to be embarced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States LettersPatent is:

1. In a pump for pumping fluids which may include debris, an elongatedimpeller shaft having an impeller adjacent the lower end thereof, animpeller housing enclosing said impeller and having an inlet and anoutlet, an impeller shaft tube surrounding said impeller shaft andrigidly connected to said impeller housing, a resilient seal within saidtube at the lower end portion thereof, an anti-friction bearing for saidshaft adjoining and above said seal; means for supplying a rustpreventative and waterproof grease between said seal and said i bearing,and means for supplying a lubricating oil to said bearing and alubricating oil reservoir affixed to said impeller shaft tube and havingan outlet at its lower end connecting to the inside of said impellershaft tube above said bearing whereby the level of lubricatingV oil insaid tube will be the same as that in said reservoir. 2. In a pump forpumping uids which may include debris, an elongated impeller shafthaving an impeller adjacent the lower end thereof, an impeller housingen-V closing said impeller and having an inlet and an outlet, animpeller shaft tube surrounding said impeller shaft and rigidlyconnected to said impeller housing, a resilient seal within said tube atthe lower end portion thereof, an anti-friction bearing for said shaftadjoining and above said seal; means for supplying a rust preventativeand waterproof grease between said seal and said bearing, and means forsupplying a lubricating oil to said bearing, and a second resilient sealbetween said bearing and said first mentioned seal, said seals beingspaced axially along said impeller shaft, said means for supplying arust preventative and waterproof grease being connected to the spacebetween said seals, and a lubricating oil reservoir affixed to saidimpeller shaft tube adjacent the top thereof and having an outlet at itslower end connecting to the inside of said impeller shaft tube abovesaid bearing whereby the level of lubricating oil in said tube will bethe same as that in said reservoir.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,652,877 12/ 1927 Rose et al.103-87 1,707,613 4/ 1929 HollanderY 103-111 2,149,600 3/ 1939 Guinard103--103 2,181,973 12/ 1939 Jasberg 103-87 2,228,906 1/ 1941 Bowen103-87 2,368,962 2/ 1945 Blom 103--11 l 2,381,834 8/ 1945 Meredew et al103--87 2,658,775 11/ 1953 Murphy 103-111 2,777,395 1/ 1957 Disbrow103-111 3,155,046 11/ 1964 Vaughan 103-103 HENRY l?. RAPUAZO, PrimaryExaminer,

1. IN A PUMP FOR PUMPING FLUIDS WHICH MAY INCLUDE DEBRIS, AN ELONGATEDIMPELLER SHAFT HAVING AN IMPELLER ADJACENT THE LOWER END THEREOF, ANIMPELLER HOUSING ENCLOSING THE IMPELLER AND HAVING AN INLET AND ANOUTLET, AN IMPELLER SHAFT TUBE SURROUNDING SAID IMPELLER SHAFT ANDRIGIDLY CONNECTED TO SAID IMPELLER HOUSING, A RESILIENT SEAL WITHIN SAIDTUBE AT THE LOWER END PORTION THEREOF, AN ANTI-FRICTION BEARING FOR SAIDSHAFT ADJOINING AND ABOVE SAID SEAL; MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A RUST PREVENT-